Sunday, March 21, 2010

Adults- take some responsibility

In several Chicago area school districts, teacher's jobs are being cut. Not only are there job cuts, there are rising activity fees and eliminating activities/classes that are deemed "not required".
This is not just happening in Chicago, but around the country in a time where states are "tightening their belts" due not only the recession, but also years and years of reckless spending. Private Drivers, Private planes, and I know many people are frustrated at the amount of times they walk into government offices and no one seems to be doing anything, but no one can help you.
In Kansas City, news broke a few weeks ago that they are planning on closing almost half of the schools. Now, I don't know all the details, I don't know how full these schools were to begin with, but I do know that this will equate to large class size, which will enable teachers to focus on individuals, which will decrease the amount of attention they get on individual issues. We already are a country where education continues to lag behind those of similar socio-economic climates. When you look at school districts in lower-income communities, the success and graduation rates decrease dramatically. Some of these children are not even given a chance. Many times the way some of these children are able to attend college is through an athletic scholarship. By increasing the cost of athletic fees, you hinder the chance of these children playing sports, let alone getting scouted and being able to live larger dreams that they thought imaginable.
This is a mistake. Children should not be paying the price for adults irresponsible spending. Please write your senators, congressmen, school board members. Schools should be about teaching children to do better than we do. Schools should be teaching about responsibility, schools should be teaching about how to survive, how to think, how to learn. Schools should not be having to tell students that they can no longer play sports/be in choir/ play in the band/ showcase their talents in plays, etc.
I don't want to live in a world when schools become an afterthought.

1 comment:

  1. Amen. We're having to look into private schools if we stay in South Monterey County just so ours boys can have an education that Colt and I received in public schools when we were in high school.

    I can't believe all the programs being cut. Here, they don't have art, PE, or music time unless the teacher makes time for it.

    Sad, sad, sad.

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